David Fontaine wrote:
> 
> Sander wrote:
> 
> > Generally a live virus is considered to be able to initiate a complete
> > infection in the right host, while a weakened or 'dead' virus provokes a
> > immunological reaction mainly, is what I think I remember. Whether it's
> > alive is really not an interesting issue.
> 
> I know, I just thought I'd bring it up and see what people said :-)

The best definition of life I've seen so far is "something that can
cause a local decrease in entropy".  If I remember correctly, according
to this definition, virii would be alive, but prions (mad cow's disease)
wouldn't.

> 
> --
> ___     ______________________________________________________
>  | \     |_                 <dav### [at] faricynet> <ICQ 55354965>
>  |_/avid |ontaine               http://www.faricy.net/~davidf/
> 
> "Sitting on a cornflake, waiting for the van to come" -Beatles

-- 
Francois Labreque | Unfortunately, there's no such thing as a snooze
     flabreq      | button on a cat who wants breakfast.
        @         |      - Unattributed quote from rec.humor.funny
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Francois Labreque wrote:

> The best definition of life I've seen so far is "something that can
> cause a local decrease in entropy".  If I remember correctly, according
> to this definition, virii would be alive, but prions (mad cow's disease)
> wouldn't.

----------------------------------> (What you just said)
                ___
               /|||\
               |o o|
               | - |  (my head)
               \---/

It's off to m-w.com for me again...

--
___     ______________________________________________________
 | \     |_                 <dav### [at] faricynet> <ICQ 55354965>
 |_/avid |ontaine               http://www.faricy.net/~davidf/

"Sitting on a cornflake, waiting for the van to come" -Beatles

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Keeping us busy, huh?

--
Regards,
Sander


David Fontaine <dav### [at] faricynet> schreef in berichtnieuws
38A090F9.D2B122BD@faricy.net...
>
> I know, I just thought I'd bring it up and see what people said :-)
>

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Once, I saw a electron microscope picture of DNA next a computer generated
model.
Brendan Ryan

Sander wrote:

> I Was too fast answering: wanted to add I have been an electron microscopist
> for 25 years. But HIV hasn't been my interest. More like plant viruses, to
> start with. Never made pictures of RNA, though.
>
> --
> Regards,
> Sander
>
> Sander <san### [at] stolscom> schreef in berichtnieuws
> 389def60@news.povray.org...
> > Are you saying that you haven't used more than 5 colours?? RNA has C, N,
> O,
> > P, and H only... :<
> >
> > --
> > Regards,
> > Sander
> >
> >
> > Psychomek <psy### [at] cyberhighwaynet> schreef in berichtnieuws
> > 389DCD9F.FECF48F6@cyberhighway.net...
> > > This Particular RNA strand has over 9000 atoms in it....  that is the
> > reason for
> > > the Color variation
> > >
> > > Sander wrote:
> >
> >
> >

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Umm sorry perhaps I'm a bit slow but what does that site/book have to do with my
post?

Sander wrote:

> Sorry: I should have added: http://www.xs4all.nl/~wgods/ and look up 'The
> Moronic Majority', chapter 'The condom conspiracy'.
>
> --
> Regards,
> Sander
>
> Thomas Lake <tla### [at] homecom> schreef in berichtnieuws
> 389EFDFA.CE06EF7E@home.com...
> > A lot of differing views as to weather viruses are alive I don't think you
> could
> > come to any conclusion if you asked a number of biology teachers. Viruses
> have DNA
> > or RNA and are able to reproduce, though they need a host cell. they also
> follow all
> > of the rules for evolution so I think they are alive, though only in the
> most basic
> > of definitions. they are able to weaken them breading successive
> generations of them
> > together, all the interbreeding weakens them. And they can kill them with
> radiation.
> >

--
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Thomas Lake wrote:
> ... Viruses have DNA or RNA and are able to reproduce, though they
> need a host cell. they also follow all of the rules for evolution
> so I think they are alive, though only in the most basic of
> definitions. they are able to weaken them breading successive
> generations of them together, all the interbreeding weakens them.

Neat trick, interbreeding an asexual organism.

-- 
Anton Sherwood  --  br0### [at] p0b0xcom  --  http://ogre.nu/

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